Publication year

Mexico’s economic growth starts to pick up and its economic outlook is also improving, as all intended structural reforms are approved. The most important one, energy, is likely to contribute the most.

Russia’s economy is slowing down as a result of western sanctions and a drop in oil prices. Its outlook has also deteriorated due to lower investor confidence and a strengthening of the government’s control over the country.

The political environment in Bangladesh has calmed in recent months and the AL government is likely to sit out its term in office. Growth is strengthening, albeit only very slightly, and the current account surplus will narrow further.

Economic growth in Taiwan is recovering somewhat this year thanks to rising exports and investment. Protests could slow the pace of further Cross-Strait cooperation, but policies towards mainland China are likely to remain pragmatic.

Supported by infrastructure projects economic growth in Panama is strong. Whether these projects will boost growth structurally, to an extent that it will outweigh a loss of short-term infrastructural investment-driven growth, remains to be seen.

Intel has announced that it will relocate its production plant to Asia, severely denting Costa Rica’s GDP. Furthermore, with the government failing to address structural fiscal problems, Moody’s has downgraded the sovereign to below investment grade.

Economic growth has slowed down strongly in the first half of this year, but is likely to pick-up in the second half of 2014 and afterwards. Meanwhile, the well-regarded Finance Minister Luis Miguel Castilla was replaced in September 2014.

On the back of a recovery of the tourism sector, GDP growth is picking up. Political stability has returned in the short-term following the victory of President Yameen and his PPM party in the 2013 presidential and March 2014 parliamentary elections.